On a sisters’ trip to Santa Fe, Jill, Carolyn, and I meandered through New Mexico’s green valleys, irrigated by the Chama River, to Abiquiú for a tour of Georgia O’Keefe’s house and studio. It was easy to see where O’Keefe drew her inspiration for her art–the colors, the shapes, the rocky landscape. Her Home and Studio were originally built in the mid-1700s in Native American and Spanish Colonial style; additional rooms were added as a pueblo-style adobe (mud brick) around a common open courtyard when O’Keefe purchased the house in 1945. She was particularly interested in the adjacent garden that used a local irrigation system known as an acequia and is in use today to water the vegetable and flower 
garden and is managed by volunteers.
People: Georgia O’Keefe whose art was inspired by her surroundings.
Places: Courtyard of O’Keefe home and studio where the much-painted lily was in bloom.
Pies: Chocolate Pinyon (Pine Nut) Pie. Serendipity was still in our favor as we had lunch at nearby Café Abiquiú: There was a Chocolate Pinyon Pie on the menu! The server brought us 3 spoons knowing that the pie was too rich for just one person. The chocolate was dense, and the pine nuts evoked the fragrance of the trees that we viewed on our drive and enjoyed as the pinyon branches burned in the evening in chimeneas back in Santa Fe.
- For the Graham Cracker-Almond Crust:
- 1 cup gluten-free graham cracker crumbs or regular graham cracker crumbs
- heaping ½ cup sliced Fisher almonds
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup butter or Earth Balance vegan butter, melted and cooled
- For the Chocolate Filling:
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup milk (any kind, I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 3oz dark chocolate chips
- 1-1/2oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: whipped cream (see notes) and berries
- For the Graham Cracker-Almond Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add sliced almonds to a food processor then process into fine crumbs. Add to a medium-sized bowl with graham cracker crumbs and sugar then mix well to combine. Add butter then mix well to combine. Pour mixture into a 9" pie pan or tart pan then press into an even layer on the bottom and slightly up the sides. Poke the bottom with a fork then bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. If crust has puffed up too much in the center after baking, use the bottom of a measuring cup to gently press it back down. Set aside to cool.
- For the chocolate filling: Add chocolate chips, most of the pine nuts (reserve rest to sprinkle on top) and vanilla to a medium-sized bowl then place a fine mesh sieve on top and set aside. Add egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder to another medium-sized bowl then whisk until smooth. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to simmer then pour half of it into the egg yolk mixture while whisking vigorously. Turn the heat to low then pour the egg yolk/milk mixture back into the saucepan and whisk to combine. Switch to a spatula then cook until filling has thickened, 1 minute.
- Pour filling into the fine mesh sieve set atop the bowl of chocolate chips then press with a spatula to strain out any pieces of cooked egg. Stir until chocolate chips have melted then pour filling into the crust and smooth the top. Let cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, sprinkle with remaining pine nuts, then cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Slice, then serve with whipped cream and berries if desired.
This recipe looks like a keeper. Thanksgiving?!
Sounds like a great trip!